ST. LOUIS, March 17, 2009

The Boeing Company today in St. Louis unveiled the F-15 Silent Eagle (F-15SE), a new F-15 configuration designed to meet the future needs of international customers.
"The F-15 Silent Eagle is designed to meet our international customers' anticipated need for cost-effective stealth technologies, as well as for large and diverse weapons payloads," said Mark Bass, F-15 Program vice president for Boeing. "The innovative Silent Eagle is a balanced, affordable approach designed to meet future survivability needs."
Improvements in stealth include coatings and treatments on the aircraft. With the added advantage of redesigned conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) that allow for internal weapons carriage, the Silent Eagle becomes a very attractive fighter for Boeing's international customers.

Depending on the specific mission, the customer can use the CFTs that are designed for internal carriage or change back to the traditional CFTs for optimum fuel capacity and external weapons carriage. The Silent Eagle will be able to internally carry air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9 and AIM-120 and air-to-ground weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). The standard weapons load used on current versions of the F-15 is available with the traditional CFTs installed.

The aircraft's canted vertical tails improve aerodynamic efficiency, provide lift, and reduce airframe weight. Another aerodynamic improvement is the Digital Flight Control System, which improves the aircraft's reliability and reduces airframe weight.
Survivability improvements include a BAES Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS) working in concert with the Raytheon Advanced Electronic Scanning Array (AESA) radar.
Boeing has completed a conceptual prototype of the CFT internal-carriage concept, and plans to flight-test a prototype by the first quarter of 2010, including a live missile launch.
The design, development, and test of this internal carriage system are available as a collaborative project with an international aerospace partner.

It looks great and quite capable. The canted tails really stand out. I hope someone does order it and does make it to production. There aren't any buyers as of now, right?

I agree it probably will be a tough sell against the F-35. Is it competitively priced?

I think the only way it will sell in numbers is if it is much cheaper than the newer alternatives. Of course the US government is probably not willing to sell the 5th generation fighters to certain countries but would offer them the F-15SE. I read elsewhere that the canted tails are an option but you can also buy the regular ones too.

As of right now, Boeing estimates the price with airframe, spare parts and training at $100 Million each. That's already a higher price tag than the F-35. And we all know how Aerospace projects are never completed on time and on budget. So the realistic price i think would be much higher than 100 million dollars.

The other thing it holds over the F-35 is fact that it has two engines. Some nations might opt for that instead of the JSF. Smaller air forces who cannot afford losing an aircraft every time there's an engine failure might want to have two engined fighters instead of 1.

I wonder what happens to the range if the CFTs are carrying internal weapons instead of fuel? Seems like a big compromise to me to lower the radar signature a bit. If the range is really needed then external tanks would have to be carried, thus eliminating anything gained from carrying the weapons internally.

I'm sure the F-15Es will be upgraded in one way or another if the USAF is planning on keeping them in service till 2035. Exactly what the upgrades are, we just have to wait and see.

Hi,

If I were looking to equip and air force, the F-15E would be at the top of the list. The F-15E is probably the first fighter-bomber that can actually fight it's way in, put lead on target, and fight it's way out (if necessary). The F-35 is not in the same camp as the F-15E. A strike version of the F-22 would be more comparable. For all of the F-16's, F/A-18's and Harriers out there, the F-35 will be the replacement.

The sacrifice in range, could be made up by the planning for in-flight refueling into any mission plan. Not too many missions are flown without tanker support any way. Even the F-22 uses drop-tanks for ferrying and long-range missions. The F-35 will be a big user of in-flight refueling, I suspect, especially the V/STOL version.

I do not see stealth as being a big selling point. For US interests, stealth makes little difference. If we were to go to war with China or Russia, it would help, but not win the war.

Sharp looking aircraft nonetheless!